Here is the update I posted on the Carepage about Molly's MRI today. If you want to read Molly's story click HERE.

Molly had her first 3 month MRI this morning. The actual MRI went really good. The person before us didn't show up, so Molly got to go in an hour early, which was really nice. She wasn't freaking out too bad until the actually IV, which was better than we anticipated. They also numbed her hand a new way which only takes about 30 seconds, instead of the old numbing cream which would take over a half an hour. They gave her propofal to knock her out, and the actual MRI took an hour. When she came back, she woke up easily, which is great, but was very silly and out of it. She was starving(since she couldn't eat or drink anything before the test), so she had some juice and chips, and finished coming around. Then we could get her ready and head over to the Neurosurgeons office.

At the Neurocurgeons office they looked over the MRI pictures, and told us that they show there is still something on her brain. They are not sure yet exactly what it is. It could just be something not absorbed from the surgery or a blood vessel, but it could also be part of the tumor left or another very small start of a tumor. It is small right now, so there is not a worry they should be doing anything yet. Basically he said in 3 more months when they do another MRI they will be able to get a better idea of what it is. If it is getting bigger, then it would be a tumor, but if it is the same or absorbing it is something else.

So, we are going to look at this as good news. We are very lucky with how things have gone for us so far, and Molly is doing great. Things aren't completely perfect and clear like we hoped, but they definitely are much better than they could be.

Just something interesting too, on the pictures they show us of Molly's brain, there is an empty area where the tumor used to be. When we asked if that was going to fill in over time, the doctor told us it wouldn't. We think this is so crazy. Our smart little Molly will always have an empty hole in her brain? Weird. The human body is definitely fearfully and wonderfully made. What a miracle it all works.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Here is a quick Molly update for those of you who were wondering how things are going. I posted this on her Carepage today.To read a bit on Molly's story go HERE.

Hi everyone!

I thought it was time to do a Molly update and let you all know how things are going. Molly is doing great, and is loving being home and enjoying the summer. Most of you know that about a week and a half ago she fell down the bottom few stairs in our house and broke her arm. I know, I couldn't believe it, poor girl has been through enough this year. Anyways, we had to go and have it re-xrayed in the cast this morning to make sure it was healing correctly. It turned out it hasn't healed at all and is maybe a little bit worse, which is discouraging, so we will go back next week to have it xrayed again and hopefully see improvement. (mom is trying not to worry why it isn't healing.)

A few weeks ago, we also saw the Pediatric Ophthalmologist again for Molly's eyes. She said the double vision is probably gone, YEAH, and things are looking about 80% better, YEAH! So, as for now, they are going to continue to watch and see what happens here. We still notice one of her eyes drifting now and then, and her winking to refocus, but not near as much! We also had a follow up at Mary Free Bed, which went fine, they were very happy with her progress.

Tomorrow is the BIG day! In the morning Molly will have her first 3 month MRI with the neurosurgeon. For the next few years, she will have an MRI ever 3 months to make sure everything looks good, that there is no trace of anything unusual, and that the tumor is not coming back. Then they will eventually switch to every 6 months. We are getting pretty nervous about this, and anxious to get through it. The actually MRI takes about an hour, but since she is only 2 she has to be put under for it, and needs an IV. We are praying this all goes smoothly for her, Molly is very, very nervous around doctors now, after everything she went through and tends to freak out. After the MRI, we will get to meet with the doctor and go over the results in the afternoon. It is nice not to have to wait for these, and hopefully will help us not to have as long to worry and think about it. I will update here tomorrow night and let you all know how things went.

Thank you all so much for your continued thoughts and prayers! The support has been amazing, and we really appreciate everything.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

I've have been wanting to make one of these awesome pop tab bracelets for awhile, I think these are so cool, but when I tried, it was definitely a craft fail. So... I enlisted the help of my cousin Shelby and she weaved this one up for me!

Shelby weaved one with stretchy cord for me, but if you want to try to make one on your own, check out this tutorial HERE from Craft Envy.

Friday, July 23, 2010

So excited for EcoBuns Grand Opening Celebration tomorrow morning, Saturday July 24th from 9am to 3pm! If you live in West Michigan you should definitely try to be there, it is going to be AWESOME!

There are going to be refreshments, raffles, and a Fluff Fest/Babywearing/Prego Bellies Parade to support Natural Parenting! (How fun is that!!!!) If you take part in the parade, you will receive a $5 off coupon, and there will be balloons for the kids too!

There are also some GREAT raffles of prizes going on including: a Baby Hawk Carrier, $25 gift certificate, a Moby Wrap, a Planet Wise Wetbag, a Thirsties Diaper gift basket, a FuzziBunz Diaper gift basket, a Mommy Necklace, a BabyLegs Gift Basket and so many more!!! I am pumped, these are some amazing prizes!

Ecobuns new location is at 60 E. Lakewood Blvd Suite 60, in Holland, Michigan! Else, if you don't live in West Michigan, you can go to there website here.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I have been wanting to try to make some flower pens for a long time, I think they are so cute, and I am so happy I finally got a chance to whip some up. I love how they turned out, and they are so super easy to make. I had some fake flowers left from a project a long time ago, so I used this tutorial from Homemade Mamas to make these great pens.

I am hoping to make a few more so I can use them at a baby shower later this summer.

Friday, July 16, 2010

I can still hardly believe this, but Molly broke her arm Thursday night! She was walking down the bottom few stairs and fell, and broke her arm trying to catch herself. This poor girl is not having good luck this year! I feel like the hospital has been our second home this year, at least this time we didn't have to stay for weeks. Molly got a 1/2 cast and splint until Monday, and then they will give her a full cast. She is doing great, and this doesn't seem to slow her down at all. She is such a toughy, and she is definitely either going to give me gray hair or a nervous break down!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

We got this great tip from my teacher friend who is getting her masters in reading! It is so simple, turn on your TV's closed captioning when your child is watching a show! We started right away, it is just another great way to show her the words and letters, and get her ready for reading!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Molly worked hard over the weekend washing her cozy coupe so that we could add these adorable vinyl flower stickers to it today! I think this is "Total Cuteness!" Having two girls and a old cozy coupe from a garage sale, I knew I had to girly it up a bit.

The vinyl has a 6 year outdoor warranty, so it should hold up in the elements. :) But can be removed if I ever had a boy or was giving it away!Adorable, right? I saw this idea over at More Than The Mulberries.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

I couldn't wait to post the craft I made today (that's why the picture is not great, I just finished it and took it outside, even though it's 9pm). I took these pictures of things outside that had the letters of our last name over a year ago with hopes to find a frame with 7 spots. I never found a frame that would work, until this weekend when I got the idea to just use a scrap piece of wood.

Here's what I did:-I cut a board to the size I wanted (ok, I had my husband do that, but I could have, hehe)-I painted the board black-I Modge Podged the pictures onto the board-I Modge Podged the top of all the pictures-I sprayed the whole thing with sealer to make sure it stays nice

Yeah! It feels so good to finish this project, and I am actually really happy I never found a frame. I love how this turned out.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Thanks to everyone who entered the Ecobuns giveaway to win a Thirsties Duo Diaper! I wish everyone could try one. It was so fun to read everyone's comments and it always makes me so happy to hear about people cloth diapering and loving it.

The lucky WINNER is...

Erin Patrick

Her comment was:

I love cloth diapering because it is so much fun! And I love knowing I am not clogging up landfills with disposables.

Erin, please send me an email letting me know what size you would like, the 6-18 pounds, or the 18-40 pounds. Congratulations!!!

Monday, July 5, 2010

I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! We had a weekend filled with friends, family, and lots of fun. Here are the meals I am planning to help us get back to a "normal" week. (click on the links for recipes)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

This weeks "Sew Something Saturday" project only needed a little sewing, but was a lot of fun. I made these key fobs I've been wanting to make since I saw some at a Christmas craft fair (I know... took me long enough). I roughly followed this tutorial if you want to make a few.

Friday, July 2, 2010

I'm sure that most of you have seen this great idea from Under The Table and Dreaming floating around blog world. I thought it was SO cute, and immediately got Molly to work painting her can and wooden stars her Great Grandpa cut out for her. This is our take on the fun project, for more of a tutorial on how to make one head over to this post. Hope you all are enjoying a great holiday weekend!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

YEA!!! It's time for a cloth diaper review and giveaway!!! I am so excited, and hope you are too, because this is an awesome diaper!

Most of you know I am addicted to cloth diapering, and have used them for both my girls. I started to save money, but now being better for the environment is a major reason that I love it! I have been through all the ups and downs of learning to use cloth diapers, and love trying all different kinds and styles on my search for the "Perfect" cloth diaper.

When I was buying more diapers to use with my second daughter, I met Kellie from Ecobuns, and was blown away by everything they offered and how helpful she was in answering all my questions and explaining everything to me. You can visit Ecobuns online store, or if you live in West Michigan you can shop at there new store opening up soon. They have everything you could need for cloth diapering and even slings, nursing necklaces, and so much more. She even offers free classes on cloth diapering!Ecobuns let me try a Thirsties Duo Diaper to review. This diaper comes in two adjustable sizes, one for 6-18 pounds, and the other for 18-40 pounds. So you can diaper from birth to potty training with only two different sizes! Each diaper has three rows of snaps so you can adjust them to fit perfectly as your baby grows.

It also comes with two inserts, a microfiber and a hemp, that snap together so they stay stuffed nicely. This worked very well, I love having a bottom layer of hemp, it really absorbs amazing! Another thing that helps this diaper not leak is the leg gussets on the sides, they make a huge difference and is one of the only diapers I have used with these, it fits much snugger.It is a very trim diaper, which I love because it fits under my 4 month olds cloths pretty well to size. Most of the time her diaper booty is so bulky I have to dress her in a size up. Another plus is that you don't have to pull out the inserts to wash this diaper, they will agitate out on there own! It's SO nice, major plus here! I love anything that makes washing quicker and easier!

One of the only things I didn't like about this diaper is that when using the snaps in the front to size it, the middle on the diaper pulls down a little bit making a gap in the front. Other than that, I have had no problems with it, and no leaks!! I find my self saving this diaper for when we are going somewhere or when I want my daughter to wear a cute outfit without a huge diaper booty. It is very reliable, and one of my new favorites. It also comes in fun colors!UPDATE-Ecobuns is now also open in Holland, Michigan60 E. Lakewood Blvd.Suite 60Holland, MI 49424

Kim

I am a happily married, stay-at-home Christian mom. Dealing daily with diapers, dishes, dieting, and just trying to make the most out of every day!

Randal

Randal is the best husband and father we could ask for. He loves his family of girls, and has the best sense of humor. He works hard and supports us in everything we do as a family.

Molly

Molly is our energetic 4 year old. She is an amazing little girl. In April 2010 we found out that she had a life threatening, lime size brain tumor. She was in the hospital for awhile and had surgery to remove it. Today she is doing amazing, and we are so grateful for her miracle! Her favorite things to do are play dress up and swim. To read more of Molly's brain tumor story, click on her picture.

Nora

Nora is our 2 year old daughter. She is such a sweetie, and super indepentent. She is always keeping us on our toes!